The condition of an elderly Sikh man beaten in Fresno with an iron rod is improving, but Bhai Piara Singh is said to be still in critical condition with a punctured lung and fractured jaw, reports Sikh 24.
Charges against 29-year-old Gilbert Garcia have been upgraded to attempted murder and he will likely be charged with hate crime and elder abuse.
A community forum was held last night during which Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer declared that race definitely played a part in the attack.
“Mr. Singh was targeted because of who he was, what he was wearing, his ethnicity, his religion.”
The Sikh Council of Central California plans to hold another forum this weekend to come up with an action plan.
“Getting to know your neighbor is not a bad idea,” said Paul Sihota. “Just because he wears a turban or some other different dress doesn’t make him a terrorist.”